This article is a review of THE AVENGERS a.k.a. AVENGERS ASSEMBLE.

“When they come, and they will, they’ll come for you,” Tony Stark“I have an army,” Loki“We have a Hulk,” Tony Stark

Is 2012 the year that those misguided enough not to love and appreciate BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER finally come to the realisation that writer-director-producer Joss Whedon rocks? He has not just knocked one film out of the park (THE CABIN IN THE WOODS – producer and co-writer) but two, writing and directing the masterful THE AVENGERS (a.k.a. AVENGERS ASSEMBLE in the UK). Whedon has set new benchmarks in the horror, superhero and action genres. I am not exaggerating. Even though he is a talented filmmaker, there was no guarantee that he would be able to handle a film of this scale, and juggle so many major characters satisfactorily. Rest easy peeps, this is monumentally beguiling (unless you have no regard for the travails of the super-powered and super-skilled).

Ever since the success of IRON MAN, it appears that Marvel Studios has been gearing up for this team-up of its iconic character stable. IRON MAN 2, THOR and CAPTAIN AMERICA stood alone as enjoyable popcorn fare; though work together better as pieces of a puzzle, which have neatly clicked together and set-up what other studios must be looking on seething with envy. Imagine what Warner Bros. and DC could do with THE JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERCIA; but it doesn’t look like it will happen anytime soon – though maybe Marvel’s effort will galvanise.

The Avengers initiative is a programme invented by secretive US government agency, S.H.I.E.L.D.; in order to bring together the most gifted superheroes, to protect the Earth from those malevolent forces that can not be tackled by one of our gifted guardians acting alone. In this film, the initiative is made up of: Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo – the best casting so far of the “enormous green rage monster”). Their boss is the of course no-nonsense Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). In a more pedestrian film, the union would have been by the numbers reticence and then sentimental anarchy. Instead two thirds of proceedings are a demonstration of these wonderful comic book creations, made flesh through charismatic actors firing on all cylinders and never looking down their noses at what could on paper be pretty silly. The demo is achieved deftly by having them constantly play off each. Allowing egos and personalities to chafe, scrape and gel. The writing is top-notch. There is a wonderful mix of humour and threat. And their adversary, demi-God Loki (Tom Hiddleston), is a glib, narcissist, chewing every scene like he was on the stage at The Globe gunning for an Olivier award – what a pleasure to watch. There is someone behind him too, and that person is formidable. The makers understand that the foe is just as important as the paladins. Oh yeah, and the action sequences are stupendous. I was wondering whether a battle on the flying fortress during the film was going to be topped. It is. Wait until you see the monster-leviathan things!

One wanted to see this again straightaway. If you nearly mess your bad self, in a good way, when Captain America goes, “Hulk. Smash!”, no one would blame you.